The second American family visited troops in upstate New York on Sunday, their last official appearance before returning to private life.
Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence visited Fort Drum to thank the 10th Mountain Division and their families for serving the country.
“I am here to send a very simple message to all and sundry on behalf of your commander and chief and all Americans: thank you for your service and the 1st Brigade combat team, welcome home,” he said. Think of the service members.
The 1st Brigade recently returned from Afghanistan.
“We all count on you,” the vice president said, “because we know we can.”
As she addressed the troops, the second lady was moved and her voice faltered in half-sentence as she spoke to the crowd.
“It’s an honor to be with you … here I go … for our last trip as Vice President and Second Lady of the United States,” Karen Pence said.
“We are a military family like all of you, our son is an F-35 sea aviator. He is married to our daughter-in-law Sarah and we hope that our first grandchild in April will be very excited, ”continued the second lady.
The second family will be replaced by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff at a swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday.
He is scheduled to resign his seat in the United States Senate on Monday.
Harris will be the first woman to hold the position, as well as the first person of color.